Bagless Vacuum

You know it's truly the twenty-first century when you can get a robot to vacuum your home. The I Robot vacuum cleaner, sometimes called the iRobot Roomba, comes in several models. Prices start at around $120 and go up, and all models come with a one year warranty. While it might not replace your full-sized vacuum cleaner, the Roomba can save you a lot of labor.

Here is how this little robot works. It is shaped like a disc, about four inches tall and 13 inches in diameter. It rolls around on wheels, vacuuming up debris as it goes. It has a dirt container, and does not need bags, but the dirt container needs to be emptied every time you use it.

The iRobot has a charging base which must be plugged in. It takes about twelve hours to charge up. At that time, you choose a setting based on how large your room is. A large room will require your vacuum to move around for about an hour and a half, first in a spiral pattern, and then bumping gently off the walls and furniture. It is small enough to fit under the bed or the couch.

The Roomba 400 vacuum cleaner is the least expensive of the line, at $119.99. It handles up to two rooms, but lacks the virtual walls and other extra features the more expensive models have. The virtual walls are electronic devices that stop the robot from going places where you don't want it to go, such as into a certain room.

For $149.99, you can upgrade to the cheerful little red model 410. It detects dirt and has a spot mode, as well as coming with one virtual wall device. The top of the line I Robot vacuum cleaner is the Roomba 580, which retails for $499.99. It can vacuum four rooms at one time and comes with two virtual walls. It comes with all the bells and whistles.

For instance, it has a self-charging home base. When the robot is finished vacuuming, it goes automatically to its home base. The 580 can also be programmed to clean when you want it to.

The cheaper Roomba's can be upgraded by purchasing the extra gadgets, such as the virtual walls, but they are not cheap. For instance, the 500 series can be enhanced with a new home base for about $50. A wireless command center costs about $60. The Virtual Wall Lighthouses cost about $40 each. They make sure each room is completely vacuumed before the Roomba goes into the next room.

The round shape keeps the Roomba from being able to get completely into a corner, so you will probably want to have at least a hand vac available for those times of in depth cleaning. For everyday use, however, this little robot can keep up with the daily spills and mishaps so they don't build up. Not only that, it's as much fun as a new toy. Do remember it has to have the dust emptied frequently.

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